by Vicky Savage
“That’s not very likely, especially since you’ll be living in Arumel.”
“I hope you’re right. This mirror stuff can really screw with your head. I guess Narowyn tried to warn me.”
“She’s usually right about those things.”
“How about you?” I ask. “Does anyone in your family have a mirror in Arumel?”
He shrugs. “Don’t know. Never bothered to find out. If I saw one of their mirrors on the street, I guess it would be weird. But really it’d just be someone who bore a strong resemblance to my family member.”
“What about your father? I mean, he was killed when you were so young. Haven’t you ever wanted to see if he’s alive in Arumel?”
He shakes his head. “Even if he was, it wouldn’t be my dad—the man who raised me. I wouldn’t have anything to say to him.”
I chew on my lower lip for a minute. “I guess you’re right. Although in some ways I felt closer with my Domerican father than I do with my real dad. He was more open and seemed to be a more authentic version of himself. You know what I mean?”
“Not really. Do you think he would have been that way had he known you’re not his real daughter?”
“Who knows? I almost told him before I left, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, so I guess I must’ve believed it would make a difference. It was just so hard not to get caught up with all of them. I was living an illusion and telling myself it was real. I know that now.”
“You were sort of forced into pretending to be the princess.” He rubs my shoulder reassuringly.
“Yeah, but I’ve changed my approach now. I hope none of my family members have mirrors in Arumel. And, if they do, I don’t want to know about it. Ever.”
“Not even Ryder?”
“Especially not him. I couldn’t go through all that again.” The intense grief tries to claw its way up my throat and out into the open, but I shove it down hard. I’m home, and I’m going to enjoy the short time I have here.
“At least you don’t have to worry about running into your own mirror in Arumel City, like I do.”
“You have a mirror in Arumel?” I’d never thought about that before.
He nods, smiling. “A lot of Transcenders do. Some people have actually met their mirrors and become friends, but I studiously avoid bumping into mine.”
“That would be so bizarre,” I say, shaking my head. Then something clicks in my brain. “Hey, I think I know what’s different here. That rocker’s usually in the other corner.” I point to a wooden, cane-bottom chair.
Asher frowns. “Do you know for sure where it was when you left?”
I close my laptop. “Hell, I barely know my own name at the moment. Everything else looks the same, so it’s probably just me. I’m going to go get changed and put these papers away. Then we’re going to check out your new digs.”
Asher stretches his back and gets up from the table. “Okay, but when will your dad be home?”
“Not for hours. Help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen. The powder room’s down the hall. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
TWENTY-THREE
I’ve never been so happy to see my own bedroom. I throw open the door to my closet and search through my clothes. Everything looks fresh and new to me after being away for so long. I find my prettiest sundress and slip it on. It caresses me like an old friend. I shove my feet into my favorite purple flip-flops with the crystals on top, and smooth down my hair before rejoining Ash in the living room. He doesn’t comment on my outfit, but I can tell by the way his eyes shine that he approves.
“Ready?” I ask. “Do you know where this place is?”
“Apparently, it’s just around the corner.” He tosses a key ring in the air and catches it with one hand. “Follow me.”
The day smells gloriously like sunshine and new grass and home. We amble along the sidewalk checking numbers on the adjacent townhouses. “Twenty-six, twenty-five, this is it,” Asher says, turning up the short walkway. He unlocks the white wooden door that looks exactly like all the other front doors in the neighborhood and we step inside.
The tangy scent of the musty air assaults my nose.
“Unbelievable!” Asher says, surveying the living room. “Who lived here? Hobbits?”
A small laugh escapes my lips before I have time to clamp my hand over my mouth. I’ve seen worse decorating, but only in a frat house. The carpet is putrid green, and the walls are painted a dark maroon. The furniture can only be described as early Brady Bunch, and not in a good way.
“I don’t think I ever saw anyone come or go from here,” I say. “It smells like the place hasn’t been lived in for quite a while.”
I trundle along behind Asher as he wanders through the other rooms shaking his head and groaning. “Oh hell no.” He pulls a fuzzy zebra spread off the bed in the master bedroom.
“C’mon, Ash, it’s only for a few weeks. Man up.”
He glares at me. “I’d have nightmares sleeping under that thing. Gutting the place is probably out of the question, but at a minimum it needs fresh paint, and carpet, and some new furnishings.”
“Just when do you plan to accomplish all that?”
“While you’re at school, obviously. Now, help me open some windows and get the air circulating.”
While I unlatch and raise the windows, Asher tugs the sheets off the bed. The mattress doesn’t look too bad. No suspicious stains or crawly bugs.
“We’ll need to buy some new bedding for tonight, and a coffee maker, and a few supplies,” he says. “Is there someplace we can get all that?”
“Yeah. There’s a Target not too far from here. Let me get my wallet, and I’ll drive us. Maybe we can stop at the Apple store and pick up a new phone for me.”
“Sure.” Ash piles the dirty linens on top of the washer in the small laundry closet before we head out the door.
As we approach my house, I catch sight of someone standing on my front porch, bent over to the side, peering into the living room window. A flash of platinum blonde hair makes my heart leap for joy.
“Liv!” I run to my best friend and throw my arms around her neck.
She gives me a brisk one-armed hug before laying into me. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling and calling all morning. I thought you’d forgotten our shopping date.”
Shopping date? That seems like lifetimes ago.
“Sorry, Liv.” I launch into a lame explanation when Asher steps onto the porch, hands tucked inside his jeans’ pockets, signature sexy smile at full wattage. Liv forgets I’m alive.
She does a quick up and down scan of the deliciously hot package that just crossed into her zone of conquest. In a heartbeat, she seamlessly shifts from pissed-off pit-bull to full shameless vixen.
“Oh, so this is what you’ve been doing.” She holds out a long-fingered, perfectly manicured hand for Asher. “I’m Liv, Jaden’s best friend, and you are?”
Asher shakes her hand. “Asher Steele. I’m new in the neighborhood.”
She wheels around on me thrusting out her lower lip. “You could have at least answered my calls and told me what you were up to.”
“I lost my phone,” I say. “And, to tell the truth, I had forgotten about our shopping trip, so I promised to take Ash out to get some supplies for his new place. He doesn’t have a car.”
“Great!” she says, beaming a full-frontal smile all over Asher. “He can come with us. It’s always nice to have a man’s opinion when searching for sexy new party dresses.”
“I don’t need a party dress, Liv. It’s just Senior Celebration. Plus, I’m sure Asher’s got a lot to do this afternoon. He’s not completely moved in yet.”
“Every girl needs a new dress for her graduation,” Asher says. “I don’t mind going as long as we can stop for supplies later. It’ll give me a chance to see some of the town.”
I flash him a thanks a lot scowl. The last thing I want to do is go party dress shopping. “Okay. Come in for a minute while I gr
ab my wallet.”
“I’ll go with you,” Liv says, following me downstairs to my room. When we step inside, she shuts the door and grasps me by the forearms, buzzing like neon. “OMG where did you find him! He’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. Those eyes are incredible, and that mouth. Sa-woon! Have you kissed him yet?”
“I told you, he just moved in around the corner. He’s a nice guy.”
“Nice guy? Sweetie, are you sick or something?” She lays a cool hand against my forehead. “That man is smoking hot. You need to stake a claim on that before someone else does.”
“I just like him as a friend.” I snag my wallet from the dresser. “Let’s go. I want to be back early. I have some stuff to talk over with Dad before his date tonight.”
“Yeah, like your upcoming wedding to the new neighbor.” She giggles, but the reference to a wedding scrapes the open wound in my heart. It takes all my will power not to break down. I turn my back to Liv and pretend to touch up my lip gloss in the mirror. If she only knew what I’ve been through.
“I’ll meet you upstairs in a sec. I need to get one more thing,” I say, swallowing down my tears.
“Okay, but hurry. I might just steal Mr. Tall Drink of Water away if you take too long.”
Once she’s out of the room, I pull my embroidered purse out from under the bed. Fishing out the white cash envelope, I remove five of the crisp, new Benjamins and stash them in my wallet. Narowyn didn’t say what I should use the money for, so I guess it’s up to me. Maybe a little retail therapy will make me feel better.
Liv takes her own car, and we agree to meet at Asiye’s Boutique in the heart of town. The place is a treasure trove of awesome evening wear, and Liv is as animated as a five-year-old choosing a new Easter dress. She flits from one rack of bright, glittery gowns to the next. “Oh I love this!” she cries, or “What do you think about this color for me?” or “Sexy or slutty?”
In no time, she has an armload of gem-colored frocks and two sales ladies trailing her to the dressing rooms. Liv and I have known each other since second grade and even back then she had an extraordinary flair for fashion and a zest for spending money.
Her joyful enthusiasm is heartening, but even so, I can’t seem to muster the desire to try on anything. My heart is in mourning, and besides, none of these dresses can compare to what I had in Domerica.
Asher seats himself in a comfortable armchair near the dressing area, stretching out his long legs and crossing his ankles. He picks up a magazine from the table and begins leafing through it. I wander over and slouch down in the chair on the other side of the table.
“Can’t find anything you like?” he asks.
“Nah. I’m just not into it today.”
“Don’t you want something new for graduation or your senior party?”
I shrug. “Not really. I wish Liv could have seen my closet back in Domerica. I wonder what they’ll do with all those beautiful gowns now that I’m gone, and Mother’s gone. I wonder if the gown room even survived the explosions.” Dark thoughts of Domerica and the chaos that might be occurring there creep into my head like parasitic worms eating away at the pleasant afternoon.
Asher’s translucent eyes seem to read my thoughts. He closes his magazine. “Wait here,” he says and disappears into the store.
Liv prances out of the fitting room in her first dress—a short, tight, navy lace number that shows off her killer body to its best advantage. She’s always had a knack for transforming otherwise sensible men into panting piles of dumbass, but this dress will definitely set more than a few IQ’s diving.
Her face falls when she notices her audience has dwindled to one. “Where’s the Man of Steele? I want his opinion on this.”
“He said he’d be right back,” I tell her. “But personally I think it hurls.”
Her mouth twitches preparing to spew some sass my way, but instead she laughs and admires herself in the three-way mirror. “Honestly? I look amazing in this dress.”
“Yes you do, so why do you need anyone else’s opinion?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just like to hear it from a man.”
That tickles my gag reflex. “You did not just say that.”
Asher walks up carrying a few dresses. “Whoa,” he says when he sees Liv. “You can stop right there. That one gets my vote.”
She grins and does a couple of hip sashays for him. “What’ve you got there?”
“Oh, some things for Jade to try on. I tired her out working on my place, so I volunteered to find a few things for her.”
“That’s so sweet,” Liv gushes. “Go try them on Jade. But you,” she points a shellacked nail at Asher, “stay right where you are. I have more to show you.” It sounds like a promise. She scampers back to the dressing room.
Asher holds up a gorgeous silver dress for me. “You’d look hot in this.” He raises his eyebrows. “Try it on? Please.”
Truthfully, the dresses he chose are kind of cute, and I’m touched by his thoughtfulness. “Okay. Give ‘em here.”
Liv spends the next hour modeling for Ash and anyone else who happens by the dressing area. In the meantime, I try on the dresses he picked out for me in the privacy of my little fitting room.
The silver dress is a bit too sexy and festive for my current frame of mind. Next, I try on a short black sheath with a sweetheart neckline. It looks nice on my frame and meshes more with my mood. If I have to go to a party at least this dress will allow me to express my mourning for Ryder in a discreet way. I decide it’s perfect, and I skip trying on anything else.
Liv settles on two dresses—the navy lace for Senior Celebration and a more conservative gray silk for the graduation ceremony. We carry our dress bags out into the bright sunshine.
“Now all we need are shoes and purses and maybe some long earrings,” Liv says. “Let’s hit Caio Bella and see what they have.”
“It’s getting kind of late,” I tell her. “Asher’s got to get some bedding and supplies from Target, and I still have to pick up a new phone.”
She screws up her mouth. “Oh, okay, you go take care of that stuff. I’m going to look for accessories for us. If I see anything to die for, I’ll snag it for you.”
“All right, but nothing too expensive.” I fully expected her to bail on us. She’s not exactly the Target type.
“Call me when you get your phone.” She tosses a careless arm around my neck and kisses my cheek. “Are you okay?” She asks in a semi-concerned tone. “You seem a little down.”
“Everything’s good. Just tired from studying for APs and all.”
“You study too hard,” she scolds. “We’ve got partying to do! Nice to meet you Asher. Hope I get to see more of you,” she says, a trace of suggestion in her voice.
“Likewise,” Asher says.
Target’s crowded as usual on Saturday afternoon, but we fill a cart with sheets, towels, and kitchen supplies and wait in one of the endless lines.
For once, there’s no line at the Apple store, and Asher and I both purchase new iPhones.
“You’ll have to show me how to work this thing,” Asher says back in the car, eyeing the thick instruction booklet.
“I will. It’s pretty simple. You’ll love it. There’re lots of cool apps you can get for it too.”
“Apps?”
“Never mind. I’ll show you.”
Dad’s car is in the driveway when we pull up to my house. I’m anxious to see him. “You ready to meet my dad?” I get my dress from the back seat while Asher gathers his Target bags.
“Sure. You’ve already been subjected to my family. I’m looking forward to it.”
We drop our bags near the stairs in the living room.
“Dad?” I call.
“In here, sweetheart.”
We follow his voice to the kitchen. My heart nearly leaps out of my chest when I see him standing at the counter pouring himself a smoothie. Although he’s in his usual green hospital scrubs, the rest of him looks lik
e my Domerican father, close-cropped beard and all.
“Father?”
He looks up. “Hey, too old now to call me Dad?”
It’s definitely Dad’s voice, but he did not have that beard when I left.
“Uh, no. Sorry. This is our new neighbor, Asher Steele.” Dad and Asher shake hands.
“He’s renting the place around the corner.”
“Oh yeah? Welcome to the neighborhood, Asher. Where’re you from?”
